 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of the official opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My questions to the acting Premier. Yesterday, Ontario's Integrity Commissioner released his report detailing the deeply flawed process that led the Premier to appoint a family friend as the head of the OPP. While the Premier spent yesterday pointing to page one of that report, it's not clear that he'd read the other 99 pages. Last year, the Premier declared that this was, quote, a transparent choice that he and his Chief of Staff, Dean French, had zero influence over, which the Integrity Commissioner makes pretty clear was absolutely not the case. Does the acting Premier believe the Premier's claim that he and his Chief of Staff, Dean French, had no role in the flawed process? Questions to the Deputy Premier. Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Service. To the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Service. You know, from the very beginning of this process, we said that we would welcome and we would wait for the Integrity Commissioner's report, unlike the NDP opposite, who chose to drag good police officers through the mud, who chose to point victims. I want to quote from the Commissioner's report, quote, it is my opinion that on the evidence, Premier Ford did not breach any of the sections of the act as alleged. I found that the Premier stayed in process and that it would believe to be independent. I think that the Integrity Commissioner did his job. Now, I wish the NDP would do their job and stop dragging OPP officers and our officers through the mud. Talk supplementary. To remind the Minister that from the beginning, the Premier said that it doesn't matter what the Integrity Commissioner was going to report because he was going to have Mr. Tavernor at the front of that OPP, regardless, of course, Mr. Tavernor decided otherwise, which is what the people of Ontario deserve. They also deserve and expect a higher ethical standard that it technically wasn't illegal. On December 5th of last year, the Premier stated that, quote, he didn't know until the decision was made that his family friend had been offered the top policing job in the province. That's pretty unbelievable, considering details in the Commissioner's report, which describes constant streams of text messages flying back and forth between the head of the hiring committee and Dean French, the Premier's Chief of Staff. Does the acting Premier believe that the Premier and his Chief of Staff didn't know that Tavernor got the job until the decision was made? You know, Speaker, it's pretty obvious that from the very beginning of this process, the NDP did not want the Premier to have any interest in the OPP and the leadership within it. It's completely false premise. They have chosen to sully individuals' reputations, including, frankly, my own Deputy Minister. It was, from the beginning, a politically motivated hatchet job. We categorically refused to participate in that. And as the integrity commissioner said, the complaints coming from the NDP and the Liberals, based on the media reports, were found to be speculative and unsupported by the evidence received at this inquiry. You know, the NDP continue to believe that they can say whatever they want about police officers and challenge them through the mud. I don't think it's right. I think it's wrong. And we will continue to stand with our... Thank you. We start the clock. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, what's very clear is that the NDP official oppositions did our job, and we did it well. All of the people of Ontario that he didn't know the decision was made, Dean French's Chief of Staff admitted under oath that both he and the Premier recommended Tavernor for the top job before the posting even went out, Speaker. To quote Dean French, we both recommended that Tavernor be considered. Straight from the report, Speaker. How does the Premier get from recommending Tavernor for the top job to being totally surprised when he lands the position? Please take your seats. Minister. I think it's important to remind members of the House the Independent Integrity Commissioner did his job. The report has been tabled. The report has been made public, and the Premier is 100% vindicated. From the very beginning, you chose to make this process political. You chose to take a 50-year veteran. Can I ask the Minister to make her comments through the chair? Thank you, Speaker. It's clear from the beginning that this complaint was frivolous and without merit. The Integrity Commissioner's report clearly shows that we will stand with our frontline police officers every day to make sure that they have the tools that they need to protect our citizens and to keep our streets safe. I only wish that the NDP would do the same. Thank you. Next question, the Leader of the Opposition. Thank you very much, Speaker. My next question is also to the Acting Premier, but I would suggest that the Minister actually read the report. While the Premier insists that the system works fine, here's what Ontarians actually read in yesterday's report. The Premier's friend was approached about taking the job before it was even posted. The Premier's Chief of Staff received regular updates on that friend's progress from the Secretary of Cabinet, Steve Orsini, the head of the supposedly independent hiring committee. And the independent recruitment agency even helped the Premier's friend draft his cover letter. Wow. This might be technically legal, Speaker, but I'd hope that the Acting Premier has a much higher standard than that. Isn't it time for a full public inquiry to take a real look at this stinking mess? The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry will come to order. Questions to the Deputy Premier? To the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. I understand. The NDP didn't get the answer that they wanted from the Independent Officer of the Assembly. I understand that their narrative of a quality 50-year veteran who would have been an excellent choice as the Commissioner. I understand that they didn't get what they wanted, but let's be real. The Integrity Commissioner has done his investigation. The report has been issued. It has been made public. And as I said at the beginning, 100% vindication of Premier Ford and our government. Thank you. Well, Speaker, again, I recommend every one of those members take the time to read the report, because in his report, the Integrity Commissioner states, and I quote, a public inquiry may be useful as a post-mortem exercise where there are not the same live issues outstanding. So now that the Commissioner has done his work under his limited mandate, there are still many, many questions that the people of Ontario deserve answers to. Will this government do the right thing by the people of Ontario and call a full public inquiry into this stinking mess? Order. The government's side must come to order. Start the clock. Minister. So to be clear, you are suggesting that the Independent Integrity Commissioner for the province of Ontario didn't do his job? I don't believe that. I believe that there was a full investigation. As frankly, what was asked for by the NDP, your own member from Brampton South, asked for that investigation. It has happened. The report has happened just because you don't like what the Independent Integrity Commissioner found doesn't mean that you can continue to drag good officers, good frontline officers and the OPP individuals through the mud. It's unacceptable. It's not right. You need to stop. Final supplementary. Well, Speaker, what's unacceptable and what is not right is this minister is obviously completely unaware of what's in the Integrity Commissioner's report. That's what's in the Commissioner's report. Again, I say the Integrity Commissioner's report makes it very clear that the job is not over. That's not what the opposition is saying. That's what the Integrity Commissioner is saying as well. He doesn't touch on the retaliatory firing of Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair. And he says in the report, if you read it, he wouldn't even attempt to resolve the issue concerning the previous request for an off-the-book custom fitted van. But he does make it clear, if you read it, he makes it clear that this process... Please stop the clock and I apologize to the opposition. I have to be able to hear the questions that are being asked. I realize that many members are not participating but the ones that are have to stop or they're going to be warned and if they continue they will be named. I apologize to the leader of the opposition. Again, start the clock, allow her to finish her question. Thank you, Speaker, but he does make it clear if you read the report, he makes it very clear that this process was deeply, deeply flawed and an inquiry could find answers. Thank you. To hear what's going on at that end of the chamber, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry is warned. Minister can respond. Speaker, I will attempt to lower the rhetoric in this place by again quoting from the Integrity Commissioner's report. It is in my opinion that on the evidence Premier Ford did not breach any of the sections of the Act as alleged. I found that the recruitment process and that he believed it to be independent. You know, we are going to move on with an excellent choice in incoming OPP Commissioner Tom Cree. I am very looking forward to working with him to turn the page so that our OPP officers get the support that they need to protect our province, to keep our citizens safe and if the NDP could join us in supporting frontline officers instead of continuing to malign them, that would be very helpful to ensure that our citizens are protected and our streets remain safe. Thank you, Speaker. My next question is also for the Acting Premier. Minutes ago, the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services announced changes to the government's scheme to reduce support for children with autism. Is the government finally ready to admit that their scheme was wrong, failed parents and failed children with autism? Before I answer the member officer's question, I want to say thank you to Amy Fee and Doug Ford. The people is absolutely 100% committed to eliminating the waitlist over the next 18 months, as I have said consistently in this House for the last month. We are going to make sure that those 23,000 children who are left to languish on a waitlist by the previous Liberal Administration get off. We're going to ensure that... Diagnostic hubs, we're going to make sure that we have an annual Childhood Budget from zero to 18 of $140,000. And we're going to make sure that there's choice in how parents spend that and I am so excited to talk in the supplementary about the enhancements we're going to make to that plan. We're going to make sure that they don't want tweaks to the government's plan. They want and deserve a new plan. That actually works for parents and most importantly works for children with autism. Now the government's finally backtracking from their reckless scheme that really put parents through unnecessary stress and worry for the last number of months. Will they listen to parents finally? Don't try to fix the unfixable. Come back with a brand new plan that we had done from the first place and a new minister that parents can trust and work with. That member opposite once wanted to clear the wait list until we said we were going to do it. She wanted direct funding until we said we were going to do it. She opposed income testing until we decided we were going to get rid of it. She asked for an extension of the contract. That's what we're doing. We're going to make sure that we support those who have the most severity of the mistake. Our commitment to the people of Ontario and our motivation always has been the 23,000 who are denied service by their Ontario government are finally going to get it. We are enhancing our plan. We are spending more money. The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services that I had to stand up I could not hear because of the loud ovation by the other members in her caucus. Start the clock. When our government took office we were shocked to find that the previous Liberal government had left the province with a broken and bankrupt Ontario autism program. 23,000 children with autism were left to languish on wait lists and the Minister had to go to the Treasury Board twice just to keep the broken Liberal program operating. Can the Minister explain to this House the work our government is doing to correct the course that the Liberal government will set us on and create a more fair Ontario autism program. The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. We announced last month that our motivation would be to clear the wait list of 23,000 children. We are going to achieve that in the next 18 months by doubling the investments into our diagnostic hubs and providing a child to a budget of $140,000. What I'm really excited about Speaker is the choice for technological aids respite caregiver training and technological aids. We have now expanded that to our traditional therapy as well as speech and language therapy. I know that is what parents have told us. They have told my PA Amy Fee that they wanted to see that enhanced choice and so today I was very proud to stand on behalf of Premier Ford and our government for the people to expand that enhancement to provide more choice for families and children who have autism. Thank you. Thank you very much for your tireless work to provide every child with access to service. Speaker, I and many of my colleagues in this government have met with families across the province. We have heard many heartbreaking stories. A system that leaves three out of four children with little to no support from their government is unacceptable. It is clear to us that the existing system is unfair and must do more services to children as soon as possible. Can the minister tell us the work she is doing to provide service to every eligible child with autism services across this province? Minister. A broken and broke system we had to inject an emergency 102 million dollars just to keep the current plan for 25% of the children in place. Therefore we have also expanded our program to 331 million dollars over the last month but what I'm very excited about is the new enhancements that this program will not just focus on clearing that wait list which is incredibly important to me which is our motivation but we're going to create more choice for parents for their children. We're going to extend the contracts by six months for those who are existing in the program. We're going to consult with parents and clinicians throughout the next several months as we develop a needs test for those children who have the greatest severity. These are great things to do. We have a responsible plan that is fair, equitable and most of all speaker sustainable. Leader the opposition will come to order. Start the clock. Next question. The member for Hamilton Mountain. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My question is for the acting premier. This morning the minister announced changes to her cold callous autism program but she still doesn't have it right. This is an evidence based program. Children and families when will the minister hold a second press conference to fix this mistake? Minister or deputy premier I should say. To the minister of children community and social services. Thank you for working with me on this file as well as the minister of education and I'm very excited that this government for the people is going to be taking seriously not only the issues with respect to children with autism but also those with disabilities across this province and that's one of the things that we're committed to but if I listen to the member office's question she clearly when she attended my press conference chose not to listen because as I mentioned in the supplemental to the minister of children that we are actually engaging with the children and the parents of autism and we are talking about how we can best develop a needs based system. I was very clear both in the press and in this house that that's what we're moving to if the members opposite in the official opposition want to continue to fear longer and they want to continue to create rhetoric that only harms the debate then they can go ahead and do that speaker but what they're doing is wrong and what we are doing is right. Minister has caused chaos for weeks and we still do not have a needs based program if one family cannot afford services it's one family too many. If one family has to sell their home it's one family too many. If one child doesn't get therapy it's one child too many. If one therapist loses their job it's one therapist too many. Why does this minister think that today's announcement is enough for families? There were multiple interjections from the government side all of which were unacceptable. I couldn't keep up with them all. Stop it. Start the clock. Minister to reply. Member opposite want to continue on with the status quo of the previous Liberal governments program where 23,000 children were denied service by their Ontario government. Why does that member opposite not support direct funding as she once did? Why does that member opposite not support choice for parents in having whether it's occupying speech and language therapy or technological aid, caregiver training program? Why does she not support that? Why does she support extending the contracts by six months? Why does that member opposite refuse to support a consultation process that we're going to have throughout this province to ensure that we can best support children that are the most severe and in terms of a needs assessment? Why doesn't she support any of that? I can tell you why because all they want to do is professionally care responsible. Members of the official opposites are yelling across the floor. I couldn't keep up with it all. There's some warnings issued again just to be clear if we have to speak to you again, if you've been warned you will be named and you'll be gone for the day. That's your objective. We'll facilitate that. Start the clock. Next question. The member for Mississauga East Cooksville. My question is to the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Transport. Mr. Speaker, families in my riding know how important this project, the here Ontario LRT project is for our future. I've also heard some concerns. One of them has to do with the routing. When people take transit, they want to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Mr. Speaker, the last government did not listen to the people. They want to get back on a route that's supposed to go north south. That would add an unnecessary delay for commuters. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Transportation and Metrolinx make changes to the route that get people where they have to go faster? Here, here. Good question. Minister of Transportation. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and I'd like to thank the member from Mississauga East Cooksville on that question and for representing the August members here regarding the here Ontario LRT. As you know, they have been listening to the constituents. Lots of concerns about the route have been raised and our government as we proceed with these transit plans we're listening as well. We're always thinking about the people taking the train, the staff. We're looking at how we can improve the trips for all the riders involved. And my PA, Kinga Sermon, I've been working on with Metrolinx to come up with more streamlined plans for the here Ontario LRT. The loop, the loop that would have circled around square one mall and forced to transfer has been eliminated. Instead, the new route will save time with a spur into square one mall at Rathburn Road. There will be no need to switch trains anymore Mr. Speaker. We understand the future needs may evolve and other investors may step forward which will completely align with our transit oriented development strategy. Mr. Speaker, residents of Mississauga and Brempton are excited about progress on the here Ontario LRT project. I would like to thank the minister for giving such an informative answer. I know that he believes in the here Ontario LRT as much as I do. A new transit line will boost development and create jobs both during construction and as our economy grows along the route. Mr. Speaker, people want to know that the here Ontario LRT will be built on budget. Since the liberal left Ontario with a 15 billion deficit Mississauga residents understand that our LRT line must be built in a financially responsible way. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the minister of transportation what is he and Metrolinx doing to ensure that the here Ontario line comes in under budget so we can make this dream a reality. Good question. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Metrolinx has made some adjustments to the design scope that will help build this project while also protecting taxpayers' dollars. This plan is to reduce costs while still providing a fast reliable and seamless customer experience both on the new here Ontario LRT line and as it connects to the GO Transit and other local systems. Under the revised scope the here Ontario LRT will provide 18 kilometers of reliable rapid transit with 19 stops in a dedicated right of way. The here Ontario LRT will link the GO stations at Port Credit in Cooksville, the Mississauga Transitway, Square One GO Bus Terminal, Brampton Gateway Terminal, Key Zoom and My Way Routes. Metrolinx has made changes to other non-essential design elements to manage with the project budget but moving forward Mr. Speaker, Metrolinx will report back with a detailed assessment of revised project costs and construction time. We're working with the people of this province. The Ontario government with the PC cock is moving to get people moving forward as we open up this problem. Thank you very much. The next question is for Brampton North. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is to the acting Premier. For months the government insisted that the hiring process that led to Ron Tavernor's appointment was completely independent. Yet yesterday we learned that hours after Ron Tavernor's appointment the Secretary of Cabinet who was chair supposedly independent committee texted the Premier's Chief of Staff saying quote independent of who? I'm the Deputy Minister to the Premier and Ron reported to Mario when he was at TPS I would drop the word independent unquote. Why did the government keep defining the process as independent when the Secretary of Cabinet had asked that they stop doing so? Questions to the Deputy Premier? Thank you Mr. Secretary of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Mr. Secretary of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Now that the integrity commissioner has filed his report which you actually initiated as a member from Brampton North I think it's important for members of all political parties to understand that this member from Brampton North has always made this process about politics. This is sour grapes because when you applied to be a PC candidate we said we had better people. When you took out First of all the member has to make her comments through the chair. Secondly I would caution her on her intemperate language. Member from Brampton North applied to be a progressive conservative candidate. We said no thanks we have better candidates. When the member from Brampton North took out a membership for Brampton North this is about sour grapes of an individual who was politely declined to serve as a PC candidate and instead ran to the NDP to run. Thank you. There is a convention I think a standing order against personal attacks against other members that are very close to the line. I would ask the members to remember that. It just creates disorder in the house and we have an opportunity now for a supplementary question. Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would hope that the minister and everybody else on the other side would have read the report but it obviously doesn't appear that they have. My question to the acting premier Steve Orsini wasn't the only person who believed the process wasn't independent. On page 68 of the report the commissioner writes Mr. French indicated that he too believes that the panel was not independent. Why would the government insist the process was independent when the premier's own chief of staff and the secretary of cabinet were certain it was not? This is a classic example of someone who won't take yes for an answer. You applied to the integrity commissioner. He did exactly what you wanted, which was to do a review. We've done. Once again I'll ask the minister to make her comments through the chair. Apologies Speaker. The member opposite asked for the integrity commissioner's involvement. He did that. He continues to sully good people's reputations. 50 year career frontline officers. Deputy ministers that work for the public I cannot understand why you continue to make this about individuals and dragging people down through the mud. I'm necessarily you've read the report. I've read the report. Thank you. Thank you. The member for Ottawa Daniel. Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is for municipal housing minister first commitment should be to the integrity of the democratic process for me prior to entering politics it was very important to insist on better regulation of electoral financing and I was pleased that this house unanimously passed the 2016 elections financing changes and the minister was one of the person that voted in favor of that. Unfortunately last fall the government has removed the certification that basically allows for back room funding of money. Community members have reached out to me now and they're worried about the $1,600 price tax for the fire chat with the minister. I just want to ask him will the minister tell this house with 100% certainty whether everyone that purchased ticket to this event has paid with his or her own funds and will not be reimbursed by a third party. Okay. Minister of municipal affairs and housing. I believe the question was directed to me. Is that correct? Thank you speaker. I've said in this house many times our government for the people respect the rules of this house and the legislature. I'm not particularly sure what this member is talking about in terms of a particular ticketed event if she wants to send me the information I'd be more than happy to peruse it at my convenience but I want to be clear speaker. If a member of this house wants to have a particular fundraiser in their own riding or in another location they need to be able to follow the rules. They need to be able to advertise the event that meets the criteria of the legislation and they need to act with integrity. I have to tell you speaker that every single time that I've held this in the past I've felt quite open to contact the chief electoral officer to ask some questions. I think it's very important that members do their due diligence at all opportunities. I believe I have. Thank you minister for the answer. Earlier this week I tabled the private members bill that simply requires people who make a donation to certify that their political contribution comes from their own money and is not reimbursed by someone else. Studies have shown that the donation of that kind are very conducive to good ethical behavior. People want to behave honestly but they need to be able to state it. Will you commit minister today to two things. Number one support my private members bill that includes this certification and number two insist that all people that attend your event certify that they have indeed paid for their political contribution out of their own money and will not be reimbursed. Thank you minister. Government house leader. The government house leader. Thanks very much Mr. Speaker it's an interesting question and I first have to say that the minister of municipal affairs and housing is one of the most transparent and accountable members of this legislature has ever seen. But I find the question a bit passing strange coming from the liberal member Mr. Speaker. It was the liberals who were caught with their hand in the cookie jar in 2016 and asked the member to withdraw. Oh draw that Mr. Speaker. It was the liberals who were caught having $10,000 a plate cash for access scandals. They were then awarding contracts to companies that paid $10,000 late Mr. Speaker that showed up at a dinner with the minister of finance or the minister of energy $10,000 a plate. You'll never guess who was awarded the IPO for the hydro one sale or who was given the green energy contracts Mr. Speaker. It was those companies that paid tens of thousands of dollars to the liberal events. Next question. The member for Barry Springwater. Thank you Mr. Speaker. We know the previous liberal government left us with a $15 billion deficit. That's why we did a line by line review of our government expenditures and have clearly stated we expect our partners to do the same. We also know that some of Ontario's small and rural municipalities may have limited capacity to transform and become more modern and efficient. Mr. Speaker that is why I was so honored to stand and bury in us Phil yesterday with this minister as he announced support for these municipalities. Can the minister please explain to help those small and rural municipalities become more efficient and successful for the long term? Minister of municipal affairs and housing. Thanks Mr. Speaker. I want to take the opportunity first to thank the member for Barry Springwater or Medante for the great question. I also want to thank him for being at yesterday's announcement. It's no secret that the previous liberal government over spent and they under delivered. They had no respect for taxpayers or their money. Our government is putting the people of Ontario at the heart of municipal decision making. We were elected to restore accountability and reduce the cost of government. Taxpayers expect modern efficient service delivery that puts them at the centre and show respect for hard-earned taxpayers' dollars. The respect is required speaker at all levels of government. That's why our government is providing a one-time investment to help small and rural municipalities. This money will help municipalities find smarter ways to deliver services and support their communities and respect taxpayers' dollars. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for that answer. I also wanted to note that the MPPs for Simcoe North and for Barry Innisville were there with us yesterday. I'm so proud to be part of a government that is working hard to make life more affordable for the people in my riding of Barry Springwater or Medante and all across Ontario. Despite the reckless spending by the previous Liberal government, they neglected small and rural municipalities and made it increasingly difficult for these municipalities like Springwater or Medante in my area. Instead of working for the people of Ontario and being a true partner with municipalities, they failed to consult and listen to their needs. The government takes a different approach we want to strengthen municipalities so they find smarter ways to deliver services to support their communities our communities and respect the taxpayer dollars. Can the minister please explain what the payment is meant for and how it will impact municipalities? Minister. I want to thank all the members who were at the event yesterday. I appreciate their support and their recognition of the importance of modernizing service delivery and municipalities. We know the importance of municipalities and the services that they provide for the people across Ontario. We also believe in empowering municipalities because they know firsthand the needs in their community. That's why we made this investment unconditional with the intention of helping modernize service delivery and reduce future costs through investments in projects. For example, the county of Simcoe which is one of the regions in the city of Simcoe where the city of Simcoe is driving is receiving $725,000. These funds can go towards things like service delivery reviews, development of shared service agreements and capital investments. I am proud speaker to help modernization in our municipalities across Ontario and look forward to continued collaboration between our municipal partners and this government. I want to thank the incredible outpouring of support from Ontario. Next question for Brampton Senator. My question is for the acting Premier. The people of Ontario expect a higher standard than technically legal. They deserve answers that only a public inquiry can provide. The commissioner's report includes sworn testimony from Matt Turreden, Deputy Minister of Community Safety forced out of a job by the Premier's office. In his report, a member of the hiring committee who when told that there was an unqualified candidate who would likely apply half chuckled and said, well I'll quote, well we all know Ron is going to get an interview unquote. A member of the hiring committee was literally laughing about how a friend of the Premier's had an inside track in this process. My question is, does this government think this is a criminal service? Since we are quoting from the report made by the independent integrity commissioner, I will quote from page 99, in fact there was no long standing practice. For the 2006 appointment Julian Fantino reported to me in his interview that he received a call from the Premier Dalton McGinty's Chief of Staff. Followed by an interview with the Premier after which Mr. Fantino accepted the position. In 2010, Olgers was used in the process which selected Chris Lewis. No rank qualifications were used in this process. In 2014, Olgers was not involved. 100 rank requirements were specified. Only one interview panel was required, presumably because the pool of candidates with the rank qualifications was smaller than the pool generated. In 2014, Olgers was used in the process which selected Chris Lewis. No rank qualifications were required, presumably because the pool of candidates with the rank qualifications was smaller than the pool generated. In 2014, Olgers was used in the process which selected Chris Lewis. No rank qualifications were required, presumably because the pool of candidates with rank qualifications was smaller than the pool generated. In 2014, Olgers was used in the process which selected Chris Lewis. No rank qualifications were required, presumably because the pool of candidates with rank qualifications was smaller than the pool generated. In 2014, Olgers was used in the process which selected Chris Lewis. No rank qualifications were required, presumably because the pool of the rank qualifications were much much smaller than the pool generated. Drink consume the water over often face a number of distractions throughout the day. That's why last week when the minister announced her vision for the education in Ontario, I was very pleased to hear that she had introduced a plan to ban cell phones from the classroom. Mr. Speaker, can the minister of education please tell us more about her plan to help our students succeed by banning cell phones? Minister of Education. Thank you very much. Thank you to the member from Etobicoke for that great question because this is something that has jumped out of the consultation loud and clear. Speaker, we went across Ontario last fall and we embarked on the largest consultation on Ontario's education history. 72,000 people participated. Parents, teachers, students, employers. And you know what we heard? There was a resounding request to ban cell phones to some extent. 97% of the respondents asked for some form of ban on cell phones because guess what? Students need to be focused. They need focused time to learn. And teachers deserve, quite frankly, focused time to teach. And so we're going to be moving forward with a provincial initiative to ban cell phones. But that said, we recognize that there are school boards and there are teachers and principals out there that have initiated some best practices. And we're going to work with them and make sure that when we land in the fall with our provincial ban, we're going to be embracing best practices and make sure students have absolutely focused time to learn. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Through you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the minister for that response. As a stepmom of two amazing teenage daughters, I am glad we have a government that recognizes personal cell phones are the wrong way to bring technology into the classroom. And I'm proud that we have a government that wants to put students first. Mr. Speaker, I know we need to modernize our classrooms to support our students. Can the minister explain how else our government is working to modernize the classroom? Minister. Thank you much for that question because this is something that's very, very much good news. Again, I want to repeat, Speaker, 97% of the respondents of our consultation last fall asked for some form of ban on cell phones. And we're going to do just that because we want to make sure we have the best learning environment possible and bring our classrooms, quite frankly, into the 21st century. But in order to do so, we need to be embracing technology for all the good it can bring into the classroom. We don't want it to be a distraction. Quite frankly, people are fed up with cell phones being distractions. And that's why we're going to ensure that every school in Ontario has access to reliable, fast, and affordable internet with our new broadband-based strategy. And it's something that our PC government is absolutely committed to. So in order to meet the goal, we are going to be going individually across the province and assessing every school for their unique circumstances. And we're going to get... Thank you. Thank you. Question to member for Davenport. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education. Opposition to the government's plan to take thousands of teachers out of schools continues to build across this province. Yet the minister maintains that her plan is actually getting good reviews from parents. Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education, a parent organization that has been around for 80 years, challenged that notion. They said, and I'm going to quote, we believe that the changes tabled do not reflect the voice of parents in this province or the betterment of education for our children. Despite what the minister claims, they don't believe that firing teachers makes kids more resilient. Speaker, since the minister clearly didn't listen to parents, who was she listening to when she concocted this plan for a billion dollars in cuts from education? Great question. Thanks, Mr. Speaker. And again, we're absolutely focused on getting it right once and for all. We're cleaning up the mess that the Liberal Administration left for us. And unfortunately, our students have suffered as a result, and we are going to get it right once and for all. Again, we have to correct the narrative that is trying to be fostered by a tired phone, we're a tired opposition party because the fact of the matter is we are going to get it right. And let me be clear, there are no class size changes from kindergarten to grade three. And in terms of grades four to eight, maybe as many as one more student per class will be added to that classroom. And when it comes to our mature high school students, we want to make sure we align with other jurisdictions across Canada because employers are asking our graduates to be coming out of high school with proper job skills and proper life skills. And I'd also like to share. You know, people are referencing different quotes. I want to talk about something I learned from David Johnson, a professor at Wilford Laurier University. And he also is a research fellow at the CD House Institute. And he said, there is no strong evidence that reducing or increasing class size within the changes in Ontario in the last 15 years could have had... Thank you. So, how about you? Mr. Speaker, this is not 21st century learning. This is 19th century learning where the rich can pay for face-to-face instruction and it's the school of hard knocks for everyone else. Speaker, we don't need an expensive online consultation to tell us that no parent voted for classes bursting at the seams and less support for their kids. Just bigger class sizes will have a negative impact on students and will, and I'm going to quote again, mean a reduction in the number and variety of programs and supports for students and at-risk students in some schools. Speaker, instead of testing the resiliency of our kids by jamming them into, yes, 40 plus student classrooms and cutting $1 billion, why won't the minister invest to make our schools more resilient? That's right. Please take your seats. Minister... You know, Speaker, our plan to ensure that students have the life skills and the job skills that are being asked for by our employers in this 21st century is absolutely about getting it right and recovering from what the previous government did in terms of their experiments. The previous government simply played politics with class sizes, and you all have to agree in this House, we saw no measurable success in the experiments that the failed liberal government injected into our classrooms. For Zavenport and Gondor. And so what are we going to do? We're going to get it right. We're listening to our parents. We're listening to our employers. We're going to make sure those job skills and life skills are absolutely evident in our graduates. And because of that, we're going to be focusing on the basics. We're getting back into a trap where by science, technology, engineering and math are fundamental in a more pathway to make sure our students are employable. The question is for the Minister of Education. Great Minister. Last week I was so pleased to hear the Minister outline a great new vision for education in Ontario. It was very disappointing to see the previous government fail to ensure our students learned basic skills like math. Our children were leaving classrooms unprepared for the real world. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Education tell us what our government is doing to ensure that Ontario students will once again have the skills necessary to succeed in the classroom and in life? Thank you very much. Minister. Thank you very much, Speaker. And thank you to the member from Eglinton Lawrence for that wonderful question. With education, I have to say the previous liberal government absolutely got an F minus in how they prepare students for the world of work and post-secondary education as well. And, you know, they experimented. They threw money at programs based on ideology and they had pet projects as well that failed our students. You know, we want to make sure that our students succeed in class and in life and they need to be supported and prepared when it comes to the basic, Speaker. My top priority has always, always been making sure Ontario is once again a world leader when it comes to our education system. We owe it to our students and our teachers to help them recover from the last decade and a half of mess that the liberal may... Thank you. Thank you. Supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that response. It is refreshing to have a government that is putting our students first rather than focusing on tired ideologies. I know that this government is focused on getting it right for students. Many parents in my writing and in other writings participated in the government's curriculum consultation. Over 72,000 did. Can the Minister explain what we heard from parents during that consultation and how we can continue to support our students? Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker. Again, thank you very much. I'm so pleased to stand in this house and talk about our education for you. Our education program is geared towards the students and the teachers because we're investing in so many different ways to get it right once and for all. And, you know, as I said, in terms of the foundation of where we need to go, we're going to be rolling out a comprehensive four-year math strategy that gets back to the basics and puts our students first. And we're going to be investing in teachers so that they have the confidence to get it right as well. And, you know, the previous government refused to listen to what students and teachers really needed in the classroom. And so during our consultation, we heard loud and clear. Ontario families want more job skills and life skills for our students. And, Speaker, I can tell you, we have listened and that's exactly what we're going to do. Next September, we're going to have a revamped math curriculum and we're going to focus on financial literacy as well. Thank you very much. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to you, the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. The Investing in Women's Futures program allocates funding for over 20 women's organizations across the province that provide a range of services to women in Ontario. This funding runs out on March 31st in 10 days, Speaker. And the ministry has yet to notify these organizations whether they will receive their funding for the coming fiscal year. Will the minister commit to fully funding the Investing in Women's Futures program for the next three years? The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thanks very much for the question. I appreciate the opportunity to rise today about the women's issues. The ministry is very important to me as last week, as the member opposite may know, I had the opportunity to speak at the United Nations on a number of different issues, including women's economic empowerment, sex trafficking and violence against women. These are matters that this government takes very seriously and that is why we're continuing to invest in women's economic empowerment, but also in violence against women's shelters right across the province. I'm happy to have a conversation with the member opposite after a question period on the particular issues that she's outlining today. Supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. Unfortunately, my question wasn't if the minister attended the UN, but whether she was actually planning to fund this important program for women. The organizations in question provide essential services to some of the most at-risk women in our province. And it is shameful that frontline staff have been in the dark for months and are now issuing a layoff notices and reduction of hours for their workers. Somehow the minister can't be bothered one way or another 10 days out from this funding pot running out to let these organizations know if they will be funded come April 1st. Some of these organizations will have to close their doors, Speaker, when they lose this funding. Will the minister prevent these layoffs and closures by providing sustainable long-term funding that is so desperately needed for these women's organizations? Minister. Thanks very much, Speaker. As a member opposite knows, the minister of finance on April the 11th will be delivering his budget for the people. And that is, we are right now encouraging those. But one, funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services with responsibility for women's issues, immigration, refugee resettlement and poverty reduction in veterans affairs to submit their applications. But again, I would reiterate to the member opposite that we inherited a $15 billion deficit. This government since taking office has lowered that to $13.3 billion and we're working extremely hard in order to get our finances back on track so that we can have sustainable and core value public services. I remember as a position member as the finance critic and as the Treasury Board critic reminding the previous Liberal Administration that for every single dollar that they wasted, that it was a dollar that was taken away from healthcare education and our services. Unfortunately, because of that reckless mismanagement over the past 15 years, difficult choices have to be made in this government. Thank you very much. Next question, the member for Mrs. Saga, Erin Mills. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the President of the Treasury Board and the Minister of Government and Consumer Services announced their plan to centralize government procurement. Their plan will save the hardworking people of Ontario money. This savings are particularly important, giving the tough physical situation the previous Liberal government left our province in. Thanks for the former Liberal government, we are burdened by $15 billion deficit that makes it hard to invest in priorities like healthcare, education and other vital services. I know that both the ministers understand the government money is taking out of the buckets of hardworking Ontarians and should be spend responsibly. Mr. Speaker, to the Minister of the Government and Consumer Services, how is our government fixing inefficiency back office process? Thank you. The Minister of Government. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the member for Mrs. Saga Erin Mills, Mr. Subway for a great question and being on top of the game in his writing. First and foremost, Mr. Speaker, we're changing the way government purchase things like office supplies and uniforms. This will save taxpayers $1 billion a year helping us to balance the budget and protect our core services like healthcare and education. Something the Liberals didn't do. Our lean and continuous improvement office will streamline how we deliver services and applying lean methodologies across government. We're also modernizing voice services across government saving approximately $8 million a year. Mr. Speaker, under the Liberals, there were over 8,600 unused phone lines of government costing $2.7 million. That's $30 million that could have gone into healthcare, long-term care, mental health, Mr. Speaker. It's simply outrageous. It took 15 years of liberal neglect to create a $15 billion deficit, but Mr. Speaker, we're solving materials fiscal mess will not place overnight, but we're taking this first step and we're proud to do it. Supplementary. Mr. Speaker, our government has set a clear goal. We want to get the Ontario finance back on track and balance the budget in a responsible way. This is imperative to make life easier for hardworking families across the province. My constituents and indeed all Ontarians were tired of the waste and mismanagement under the previous Liberal government. The Liberals failed to unlock the enormous savings potential that exists across government. As a result, Ontarians were not getting the best value of each public dollar spent. Can the President of the Treasury Board please inform the House how our government is driving efficiencies to better serve the people of Ontario? To the President of the Treasury Board, Speaker. Parsons referred. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and through you to our great member. Thank you for that very well thought through question. Mr. Speaker, in the interest of time, I will keep my answer relatively short. We are working hard to bring the language of business to the business of government. Part of our platform last year alongside a number of other cost-saving measures was to centralize government purchasing. Well, Mr. Speaker, just the other day, I along with the Minister and our parliamentary assistance announced that we are going to save $1 billion to a new strategy. And this is money that can be invested in priority services like healthcare and education. Mr. Speaker, last year the people of Ontario chose to procure, or this year, the people of Ontario, last year, the people of Ontario chose to procure a government that respects their dollars, and that's exactly what they got. Thank you. Can the President inform me she has a point of order? On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome in the House this morning Josh, Monk, Ainsley-Jeffrey, and Alice Baluku from and they are here from London Youth Advisory Council and I would like to welcome them and also I hope they have a great visit at Queen's Park today. The member for Toronto, St. Paul's has a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I noticed that the government didn't make a statement recognizing today's day of significance on March 21st and I'm just wondering if I could ask for unanimous consent of the House to make a statement by a very powerful Pakistani activist and scholar in recognition of the day. Member for Toronto, St. Paul's is seeking unanimous consent to make a statement and on the elimination of racism, agree? I heard some notes. The member for Scarborough-Gildwood, I think has a point of order. Point of order, Speaker. I would just like to welcome to the House Laura Kirby McIntosh, a significant advocate for the Ontario Autism Coalition. I believe the member for St. Paul-North has a point of order. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize that today is World Down Syndrome Day and my caucus and I've noticed many members of this House are rocking our socks today. I would like to thank our friend Hazel Sagwin who was here visiting a couple of weeks and provide our caucus with our socks today. So thank you to Hazel. Thank you. For certain to standing order, 38A, the member for Toronto Centre has given notice of her dissatisfaction with the answer to her question given by the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services concerning investing in women's future funds. This matter will be debated Tuesday at 6 p.m. We have a deferred vote on a motion for closure, on the motion for second reading of Bill 74. Call in the members, this is a five minute bell. The members, please take their seats. On March 5th, 2019, Ms. Elliott moved second reading of Bill 74, an act concerning the provision of healthcare, continuing Ontario Health and making consequential and related amendments and repeals. Ms. Serma has moved that the question now be put. All those in favour of Ms. Serma's motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the clerk. Mr. Smith, Dave Quinty. Mr. Smith, Dave Quinty. Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker. Ms. Thompson. Mr. Thompson. Mr. Bethan Fawley. Mr. Bethan Fawley. Ms. Elliott. Mr. Yurek. Mr. Clark. Mr. Yakobosky. Yakobosky. Mr. Tabolo. Mr. Tabola. Mr. Barrick. Mr. Bera. Mr. Pettipi. Ms. Pettipi. Mrs. Marto. Mr. Bailey. Mr. Bailey. Ms. Fullerton. Ms. Fullerton. Ms. Scott. Ms. Scott. Ms. Jones. Ms. Jones. Mr. Cho Scarburn-Oce. Mr. Cho Scarburn-Oce. Mr. Rickford. Mr. Rickford. Mr. Miller. Mr. Miller Am lights on each note. Mr. Miller Perry- now Ms. Carol. Mr. Hello德ich. Mr. Go. Mr. Go, Mr. Downey. Mr. Trianthophilopolis. Mr. Osterhoff. Mr. Nicholas. Mr. Niccolas. Mr. Coussendova. Mr. Ramanu. Mr. Ramanu. Mr. Harris. Mr. Harris. Mr. Gamari. Mr. Gamari. Ms. Hogart. Ms. Hogart. Ms. Carajaleo. Ms. Carajaleo. Mrs. Feed. Mrs. Feed. Mr. Cho Willodeo. Mr. Cho Willodeo. Mr. Smith Peterborough-Caworthy. Mr. Smith Peterborough-Caworthy. Ms. Candle. Mr. Cran. Mr. Cran. Mrs. Y. Mrs. Y. Ms. Tangu. Dunla, Mr. Kanapati, Mr. Mabikia, Mr. Badikia, Mr. Babur, Mr. Pang, Mr. Pang, Mr. Tanigasa, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Sabawi. All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be counted by the people. Mr. Bissau, Mr. Bissau, Ms. Angeline, Ms. Singh Brampton Center, Ms. Fife, Ms. Sattler, Ms. Shaw, Mr. Mamakal, Ms. Yard, Ms. Carpoche, Ms. Sharmanta, Ms. Lindo, Ms. Stiles, Mr. Kernahan, Mr. Stevens, Mr. West, Ms. Stevens, Mr. Gates, Ms. Gretzky, Ms. French, Mr. Miller Hamiltonie, Stony Creek, Mr. Miller Hamiltonie, Stony Creek, Mr. Singh Bramptonie, Ms. Andrew, Ms. Andrew, Mr. Birch, Ms. Burns-McGow, Mr. Arthur, Mr. Arthur, Mr. Bergwam, Ms. Bell, Mr. Glover, Ms. Morris, Mr. Rikoseve, Mr. Harding, Mr. Hassan, Mr. Fraser, Ms. Hunter, Ms. Hunter, Mr. Schreiner, Mr. Schreiner. The ayes are 60, the nays are 36. The ayes being 60 and the nays being 36, I declare the motion carried. Ms. Elliott has moved second reading of Bill 74, an act concerning the provision of health care, continuing Ontario health and making consequential and related amendments and repeals. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? For its annals. All those in favour of the motion will please say aye. All those opposed will please say nay. My opinion, the ayes have it. Call in the members. This will be a five minute bell. Same vote. The ayes are 60, the nays are 36. The ayes being 60 and the nays being 36, I declare the motion carried. Shall the bill be ordered for third reading? Chair of health and long-term care? Yes. To the committee for social policy, please. The bill is referred to the committee for social policy. There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until one o'clock this afternoon.